LIPID TRANSPORT

& STORAGE
Abdul Salam M. Sofro
Faculty of Medicine
YARSI University

Learning objectives

By the end of lectures, the students

are expected to:
Understand lipid transport in the body
(or the blood plasma)
Recognize various lipoprotein and the
role of liver in lipid transport and
metabolism
Understand lipid storage for energy
reserve

Lipid are insoluble in water

How to transport in the blood

plasma?
Solved by associating non-polar
lipid (TAG & cholesteryl ester)
with amphipathic lipids
(phospholipids & cholesterol) and
protein to make water-miscible
lipoprotein

Four major lipid classes are

present in lipoprotein

Triacylglycerol (TAG)
Phospholipids
Cholesterol
Cholesteryl ester
Another plasma lipid: Free Fatty Acids (FFA)
only 5% of the total FA present in the plasma
and the most metabolically active plasma lipid

Sites of action of the phospholipases A1, A2, C and D.

Phospholipid Structures
Phosphatidylcholine (PC)

Phosphatidylethanolamine (PE)

Phosphatidylserine (PS)

Cont.

Chylomicron derived from intestinal

absorption of TAG
Very Low Density Lipoproteins (VLDL of pre-lipoproteins) derived from the liver for
export of TAG
Low Density Lipoproteins (LDL or lipoproteins) representing the final stage
in the catabolism of VLDL
High Density Lipoproteins (HDL) or lipoproteins) involved in VLDL &
chylomicron metabolism and also in
cholesterol transport

Function of lipoproteins

Chylomicrons
Transport triacylglycerols from intestines
to other tissue except kidneys

VLDL
Bind triacylglycerols in liver and carry
them to fat tissue

LDL
Carry cholesterol to peripheral tissues

HDL
Bound to plasma cholesterol. Transport
cholesterol to liver

Composition of lipoproteins in human

plasma
Fraction

Source

Chylomicro
ns
Chylomicro
n
remnants
VLDL
IDL
LDL

Intestine
Chylomicrons

1-2
6-8

98-99
92-94

88
80

Liver
(intestine)
VLDL
VLDL

7-10
11
21

90-93
89
79

56
29
13

32
33
57
70

68
67
43
30

2
16
13
-

HDL1
HDL2
HDL3
Pre--HDL

Liver &
intestine
VLDL
Chylomicrons

Protein Total lipid

(%)
(%)

TAG
(%)

Protein moiety of a lipoprotein

is known as apolipoprotein or
apoprotein

One or more apolipoproteins are

present in each lipoprotein:

Apo A is major apoprotein of HDL

Apo B is major apoprotein of LDL (Apo B100), but is found also in VLDL (Apo B100) & chylomicrons (Apo B-48)
Apo C-I, C-II & C-III are smaller
polypeptides freely transferable between
several different lipoproteins
Apo E (arginine rich) are present in VLDL
& HDL

Apolipoproteins of human plasma

lipoproteins
Apolipoprotein
s

Lipoproteins

Molecular
Mass (Da)

Apo A-I

HDL, Chylomicrons

28,000

Apo A-II

HDL, Chylomicrons

17,000

Apo A-IV

Secreted with chyomicrons

but
Transfer to HDL

46,000

Apo B-100

LDL, VLDL, IDL

550,000

Apo B-48

Chyloicrons, chylomicron
remnants

260,000

Apo C-I

VLDL, HDL, chylomicrons

7,6000

Apo C-II

VLDL, HDL, chylomicrons

8,916

Apo C-III

VLDL, HDL, chylomicrons

8,750

Apo D

Subfraction of HDL

19,300

Apo E

VLDL, IDL, HDL,

34,000

Note:

FFAs in the plasma arise from

lipolysis of TAG in adipose tissue or
as a result of the action of
lipoprotein lipase during uptake of
plasma TAG into tissues. They found
in combination with albumin, rapidly
metabolized to form energy or
esterified, the level may arise in
uncontrolled DM

TAG is transported from the intestines in

chylomicrons and from the liver in
VLDL.
Chylomicrons are found in chyle formed
by the lymphatic system draining the
intestine and responsible for the transport
of all dietary lipids into the circulation.
Smaller & denser particles having the
physical characteristics of VLDL are also
to be found in chyle. Their formation
occurs even in the fasting state, their
lipids originating mainly from bile &
intestinal secretion

Chylomicrons & VLDL are rapidly

metabolized. Larger particles are
catabolized more quickly than smaller
ones.
Liver does not metabolize native
chylomicrons or VLDL significantly
TAG of chylomicrons & VLDL are
hydrolyzed by lipoprotein lipase
located on the walls of blood
capillaries

The action of lipoprotein lipase

(results in the loss of approx. 90% of
TAG of chylomicron & the loss of Apo
C) forms remnant lipoproteins or
chylomicron remnant.
Liver is responsible for the uptake of
remnant lipoproteins, mediated by a
receptor specific for Apo E.
LDL is metabolized via the LDL
receptor
HDL takes part in both lipoprotein
TAG & cholesterol metabolism

Liver plays a central role in lipid

transport & metabolism:
Facilitate digestion & absorption of
lipids by the production of bile
It has active enzyme systems for
synthesizing & oxidizing FA aand
synthetizing TAGs & phospholipids
It converts FA to ketone bodies
(ketogenesis)
It plays an integral part in the
synthesis & metabolism of plasma
lipoprotein.

Clinical aspects & others

Imbalance in the rate of TAG formation

& export causes fatty liver when
accumulation of lipid in the liver
becomes chronic, fibrotic changes occur
in the cell that progress to cirrhosis &
impaired liver function.
Ethanol also causes fatty liver.
Adipose tissue is the main store of TAG
in the body.
Lipolysis is controlled by hormonesensitive lipase

Increased glucose metabolism reduces the

output of FFA
Insulin reduces the output of FFA fall in
circulating plasma FFA.
Several hormones promote lipolysis:

Glucocorticoids
Thyroid hormones
Catecholamines

Brown adipose tissue promotes

thermogenesis.